BMW X Models 2009 News

The X1 lands in Australia next year and will be fresh and new, unlike the larger X3 which has at least two more years before its next major overhaul.  Carparazzi caught the new X3 at the Nurburgring during recent tests and, despite a complete overhaul, the car looks much like the current model.The new X3 will have almost the same dimensions, although its styling will be shaped — Carparazzi says — to reflect some of BMW's work on the CS concept. That means a more prominent grille plus new wraparound headlights.BMW is concentrating on lifting cabin quality in the X3 to combat the gains made by the Audi Q5 and Volvo XC60 which went on sale this year, as well as the Mercedes-Benz GLK which is still being promised for Australia — sometime.The other change for the X3 is that production will be moved to the USA, where it will be built alongside the X5 and X6 models at BMW's factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina.Mechanically, the biggest news is expected to be a twin-turbo engine taken from the 335i model, as well as a 2-litre turbodiesel and — like the larger X-cars — a hybrid model.

The field for the COTY contest will be set over the next two weeks as the 100-plus new arrivals this year _ everything from the baby Suzuki Alto to Holden's latest economy-focussed Commodore and the brutally luxurious BMW X6 M, is whittled down by the most experienced team of jurors in Australian motoring.Between them, the nine COTY judges have more than 150 years of combined experience as reporters, testers and commentators on the Australian motor industry.  They also make up the only coast-to-coast crew and are drawn from News Limited daily papers and the Carsguide.com.au website.The first group of five COTY finalists will be named next week, with the final members of the 10-car field locked into place the following week.  Once the field is set, the judges will assess the contenders for their value, safety, economy, safety, style and comfort.  The objective is to find the car that does the best job in every area, at the best price, for Australian car buyers in 2009.The test process is exhaustive, from city, country and highway running to a racetrack session at Lakeside in Queensland to assess the car's dynamic and safety abilities.  The 2009 COTY will join a long and strong list of previous winners from the Holden Commodore VT in 1997 to the Ford Falcon G6E, which took the crown in 2008.This year's COTY contest begins today with the naming of the four cars which will fight for the Green Car of the Year award. For all the stories, video and photos of this year's awards, visit Carsguide Car of the Year 2009. Make One Degree of difference today by calculating your carbon footprint and finding out what you can do to reduce it.

Even though the September market showed mixed results across all segments, luxury off-roaders and sportscars were the exception, rocketing up the sales charts.VFACTS industry figures show a 31 per cent lift in luxury off-roader sales and 17 per cent rise in sportscar sales last month. The luxury off-roader numbers were buoyed by strong sales for the BMW X5, and several newcomers, including the Volvo XC60, Lexus LX, RX and Audi Q5.With the weather warming up, convertibles helped feed the lift in sportscar numbers. Perennial favourites like the Mini Cooper cabrio, Saab 9-3 cabrio and Mazda MX5 helped bolster sportscar sales for the month. The Audi A5, BMW Z4, Mercedes-Benz SLK and Volkswagen Eos also fueled buyer interest.The SUV segment overall was up almost 2 per cent compared to September last year. Other segments are also on the rise, thanks to the Federal Government's small business tax stimulus package. Compact off-roaders and light commercial van sales are up 5 per cent while 4x4 utes, light cars and medium car sales are also up.The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive, Andrew McKellar, says the robust September result is proof of further signs of a consolidation in the new vehicle market. "This was a good month with a stronger than expected result," he says.Overall 78,131 cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles were sold last month. This is down 3.5 per cent - or 2807 vehicles - compared to September last year. Despite a lift in optimism, McKellar says private buyers are still reluctant to return to the market. "Some areas of buyer confidence remain fragile and an interest rate rise is premature," he says. "The economic stimulus has resulted in positive business sales but private buyers need the confidence to return to showrooms in larger numbers."Year-to-date 681,974 new vehicles have been sold, down 13.1 per cent compared to the same period last year.Toyota remains in the top sales position for September with 16,007 vehicle sales, ahead of Holden with 9744 and Ford with 8427. Toyota's senior executive director sales and marketing, David Buttner, says the company expects to pass 50,000 sales in the last quarter for the first time this year. "Toyota is holding a substantial order book into October, and it is gearing up for an end-of-year rush from the business sector," Buttner says. Buttner says the company has fixed stock shortages of the top-selling HiLux.TOP 10  BRANDS    Sept           YTD 2009 (+/- on 2008)Toyota                   16,007             142,898       -22.3%Holden                      9744               85,667       -14.0%Ford                          8427               70,289       -13.7%Mazda                       7205               57,695         -7.2%Hyundai                    5484               47,625        36.4%Mitsubishi                4312               40,092        -16.3%Nissan                       4079               38,446       -15.8%Honda                       3939               31,787       -22.9%Subaru                      2807               27,225         -9.0%Volkswagen             2307               22,717         -5.4% 

People power has forced an Australian backflip on the X5 M, which will now join the ultimate go-faster version of the X6 in a twin-pronged SUV attack.

The system in the Lexus we were piloting could find the street we wanted, but tried to take us into a road that was barred. And kept ignoring the public street that would have given us access, as we kept circling past it in growing amusement. To be fair, the Audi satnavs also have a problem with that part of the world.And the one in the BMW X5 that Navman sent us out in contradicted their gadget on several occasions.The Navman itself didn’t have any trouble with the difficult location. But that’s not the big news about the new range. Nor, for that matter, are the tap/slide wide screens and the other lollies they’re trumpeting.The real attraction of the new MY range in our opinion is the more accurate speed limit information. Where other previous systems have offered an average for stretches of road – fairly useless for sections where speed limits see-saw wildly – the top two models of the five in the Navman MY series give accurate alerts whenever you enter a different speed zone.Navman spokesman Marcus Fry says these can be updated on an annual basis, and they hope to do it even more often.And across the range you also have alerts for revenue cameras, accident black spots, rail crossings and school zones.Unfortunately the school zone alerts run all the time, not just in school hours – which means you still have to take your eyes off the road to check.But for those more concerned with bells and whistles, the range has plenty to amuse and inform – with the aim of turning the gadget into a shotgun-riding ‘mate’, according to Navman marketing director Wendy Hammond.“People really should feel like they have a reliable and knowledgeable ‘mate’ in the car who knows the area – a resource from which they can get good directions; find a sportsground; Google a restaurant; keep an eye out on speed and safety cameras; alert about traffic incidents ahead, and even take overseas with them to have the maps and guides they need on holiday,” she says.These matey features include extended lane guidance and 3D junction views, the ability to search for local information on TrueLocal and Google, Lonely Planet and Wcities travel guides, intuitive ‘Smart Find’ destination input that uses a keyword search, and traffic information that includes weather updates.There’s also a function that advises the most fuel-efficient route, plus a mileage expense and digital logbook.Not all those features are standard. And – like everything else with buttons these days – you can get an inbuilt music and video player. But only in the top-line model.Prices start at $299 for the MY30 and add another $100 to each model as you move through the MY50T and MY55T to the MY500XT. 

With deliveries due to start in before Christmas, BMW Australia spokesman, Toni Andreevski, says dealers are already fielding inquiries."One of the reasons the company had to confirm the car early is that customers are already making inquiries," he says."Our dealers are already trying to work out when their allocations arrive."Andreevski says pricing and specifications will be announced next month, but the hotter X6 is tipped to be more than $200,000.Powering the brawny four-wheel drive "coupe" will be a new twin-scroll twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 developing 408kW/680Nm, providing the car with a zero to 100km/h sprint time of just 4.7 seconds.Visually the car gets massive 20-inch wheels, quad exhausts and huge bumper level air intakes.It is 10mm lower than the standard X6, incorporates stiffer springs and air suspension.The X6 M comes with a host of driver-oriented technologies, including M Dynamic Drive, electronically adjustable dampers and active roll-control.BMW's ‘EfficientDynamics’ system will be standard. This incorporates brake energy regeneration and on-demand control of the electrical fuel pump and detachable compressor when the air conditioning is switched off.The X6 M gets a six-speed sports automatic gearbox, steering wheel shift paddles linked the precise Servotronic steering system.Andreevski says the X6, despite its niche classification, has been a surprising hit locally with 545 sold since it went on sale 10 months ago."V8 sales are running twice the amount of the X5," Andreevski says."It's clear the X6 is attracting a more sports oriented driver so the X6 M will extend that one step further."Andreevski says about 40 per cent of X6 customers are new to the brand, switching from a competitor luxury brand, and many buyers stepped up from a traditional two-door coupe.He says the X6 has outsold its closest competitor, the Porsche Cayenne, by almost 20 per cent.Globally, BMW has sold more than 35,000 X6s. 

Rather than spelling the end of performance V8s in M-cars, BMW's new-found fascination with turbocharging will open even greater possibilities, according to the company's new Australian boss.Stavros Yallouridis, who took the reigns of the Australian operation last month, is adamant the throaty burble of a performance-tuned V8 will remain a BMW fixture."We see with the new generation of the V8 engines in the M3s what a great success those engines are," Yallouridis says. "While we may see an M car with a six cylinder engine again in the future, I think at the moment we will continue to concentrate on performance V8s."Yallouridis says the search for a balance between power and fuel efficiency is one of the reasons turbocharging has become an attractive option.BMW has set non-M performance standards by bolting twin turbochargers to its brilliant 3.0-litre six and it will not be long before the M division gets in on the force-fed action."In the very near future we may even see V8s with twin turbos on them ... the X6M and the X5M are heading in that direction," Yallouridis says."It is a lot more horsepower ...""We are already experiencing better than 500hp from a V8 engine on the test bench and there is still a lot of testing going on."What you shouldn't expect from the maestros at the M garages is a return to the company's two engine extremes."I really don't think we will see another 4-cylinder M engine but I also don't think there will be another 10-cylinder engine either. What we really want, though is a good balance — we want good fuel efficiencies with a good power result but without going overboard."Yallouridis is also quietly confident that the Australian new car market will be able to weather the global financial storm in as good, if not better, condition than overseas markets."If the total car market stabilises at a 20 per cent drop for the year I think all of us in the Australian car market will be satisfied," Yallouridis says. "We have seen erratic market movement across the world and thats varies from 10 or 15 per cent in some markets up to 60 per cent in others."In Europe it appears markets are travelling at an average of 30 per cent down while in Australia it is around 21 per cent."The premium market in Australia is around about 17-18 per cent down and we (BMW) are performing at around about 11-12 per cent down."Yallouridis believes the premium segment of the market has been better insulated from the full effects of the downturn than other more mainstream segments."We are speculating that we should see a stabilisation early next year."New product is obviously an insulation in times like this. Product is a big part of any success story at the moment."While BMW has just launched the new 7 Series and the Z4 and will have the much-anticipated X1 baby SUV late in the year Yallouridis acknowledges that the effect of these models — along with the 5 Series Grand Tourismo and all new 5 Series late in 2010 — will not be felt until next year."We knew going back five years that 2009 was going to be a dip as far as new product was concerned and in a strange way that has actually helped us with regard to circumstances from the economic crisis," he says."The availability of fresh and new product as the economic gloom begins to lift next year will give us a strong competitive boost."

But the biggest step change at BMW's go-faster M division for decades is going to be a hit-and-miss event for us.The maestros at M have been unleashed on BMW's SUVs for the first time and the result is a pair of X5 and X6 belters with a twin-turbo V8 engine cranking out a wicked 408 kiloWatts _ with the brakes, suspension and body bits to match.But ...Only one of the super-quick SUVs, the X6 M, is coming down under. The X5 has been rejected, at least for now, as BMW Australia aims to steal more sales from rivals including the Porsche Cayenne and Mercedes-Benz's AMG-tweaked ML."We have made this decision primarily to cater to our more-enthusiastic M customers. They will prefer the X6 body style," says the spokesman for BMW Group Australia, Toni Andreevski."It makes more sense to target the vehicle where the buyers are. Over 30 per cent of our X6 buyers are already going for the V8 model, but the X5 figure is a little under eight per cent. They want performance ahead of practicality."So, at present we have no plans for the X5 M. We're not targeting X5 customers, these people are a different breed."The M-car move is the most radical change since the one-time racecar division grew its business away from the rorty little M3 into the 5 Series family. Since then there have been M cars across the BMW range, but nothing in the SUV lineup.The 4.4-litre V8 is the heart of the M upgrade of the X6, with BMW touting a design which puts the turbocharger and catalytic converters between the banks of cylinders for quicker response.The result is 680 Newton-metres of torque, a 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h, although this can be bumped to 275 with the optional M Driver's Package.The XMs pick up the latest developments on BMW's EfficientDynamics system, from Brake Energy Regeneration to on-demand control of the electrical fuel pump and a detachable aircon compressor.The X6 M gets a six-speed sports automatic gearbox with shift paddles behind the steering wheel, which is linked to a specific Servotronic steering system.Standard equipment runs from bi-xenon maps with daytime driving lights to 20-inch alloy wheels, a heads-up display, M sports seats and wheel, and a pumped-up body package.No-one at BMW is talking about the price, although it will be somewhere between $167,000 and $234,000 - most likely in the $200,000 range - when the first cars land in November."It will be more expensive than an ML63 and cheaper than a Cayenne Turbo. That's all we have at this stage," says Andreevski.He is also refusing to talk about sales numbers, although close to 500 X6s have been sold since it hit showrooms in August last year."If you compare it with the Porsche Cayenne, it has outsold it since it went on sale," Andreevski says. 

News cruisers are parked-up and beaming pictures before 6am as the temperature hovers around minus 10 and snow flurries drift through the pre-dawn blackness.By 9am there are union workers carrying placards in support of the Big Three outside Cobo Hall in downtown motown, as the great and the good from the world's motor industry arrive for the first major event of 2009.The buzz is down from recent years, with less security and fewer journalists jetting in for the action, but still there are major unveilings, technology, important speeches and so much more over the first two days.The North American International Motor Show is more than just glitz and glamour for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler in 2009 - this is the day when they have to deliver for the first time on the promises in Washington which have earned a government-backed rescue package.That means GM opens the action with a rolling cavalcade of 17 models which promise exactly what the government wants - hybrids, electric cars and regular production models which do better than 10 litres/100km in fuel economy.The headliner once again is the Chevrolet Volt, except this time it is wrapped in Cadillac bodywork and called the Converj - with the added bonus of a plug-in connection to its onboard battery system.Lexus is next and does its number around the brand's first dedicated hybrid, the HS250h, which was originally only planned for America but will now go to more than 80 countries.Then Ford becomes the second of the Big Three to present its position for 2010 and beyond, with an all-new Taurus family car - perhaps a pointer to something on the Falcon front - and the promise of an all-new electric car with a 160-kilometre range by 2011.Company chairman Bill Ford takes the stand to deliver on the company's promises to Washington, even though it was the only local not to take a multi-billion dollar loan."Ford is heading in the direction America and our customers want us to go, which is a green, high-tech and global future. I think that is where society would like to see the entire industry go, and Ford is going to lead that charge," Ford says.Then Chrysler, which many American analysts believe cannot survive the global economic meltdown, gets its turn and does a top job with the great looking new 200C family car and a range of electrics which shows it has not given up hope.It's best looker is the Dodge Circuit, which is most like a battery-powered Lotus sports car."The Dodge Circuit EV offers an extremely fun-to-drive, expressive sports car without fuel consumption and with virtually no impact on the environment,” says the vice-president of design at Dodge, Ralph Gilles.By now, after just two hours of the first press preview day, the pattern for Detroit '09 is set.The home team is going big on the cars it needs to make - even if Americans are still buying BIG with the drop in pump petrol prices - but there is more sizzle than steak because they have started way behind the Japanese and Europeans.And Cobo Hall looks sparse. There are fewer brands, fewer cars and none of the bold-and-brassy unveilings - Chrysler has always led the world in motor show stunts - which have been a signature of the Detroit show.“All I know is we took about 50 per cent out of the cost of our stand,” says the car boss at General Motors, Bob Lutz.“We took away a lot of the structures, such as salad bowl-shaped Saturn stands, and towers with holographic displays.”But he still applies some positive spin as everyone talks up the chances for the Big Three, even in the face of a selloff of the Hummer and Saab divisions at GM.“The fact that we don’t have any of that stuff gives our stand a much more businesslike and cleaner appearance. I think they cluttered up the stand. I imagine it’s going to be much the same around the show," Lutz says.As usual, the 80-plus former fighter pilot is right.BMW joins the hybrid rush at Detroit with news of its petrol-electric X6, thankfully with the all-new Z4 sportster to provide some glamour, as Volkswagen provides the best looking car of the show with its Concept BlueSport.The gorgeous VW is most like a Mazda MX-5, but promises Prius-buster fuel economy in the 4.3 litres/100km range and, without any promise of production, it clearly could have a future.“The Concept BlueSport is evolving into a car that that is a lot of fun to drive and at the same time makes an unmistakeable statement in terms of sustainability," says Volkswagen.“The Concept BlueSport is evolving into a car that that is a lot of fun to drive and at the same time makes an unmistakeable statement in terms of sustainability.”The next big mover in Cobo Hall is Kia, which shows a funky pick-up built on its baby Soul. The Soul'ster is never going to be an Aussie workhorse but will hit the Gen-Y button for America, and California in particular.As the first day in Detroit winds into darkness and more frigid weather, Subaru kicks the action with a preview of its new Liberty - called the Legacy in the USA - Jaguar runs out its high-performance R version of the landmark XF and Volvo shows the most adventurous concept car in its history, pointing to the next S60."The sporty design gives visual promise of an enthusiastic drive and I can assure you here and now that the all-new S60 will live up to that promise," says Volvo boss, Stephen Odell.Ford goes again to start day two at Cobo, with its Lincoln-Mercury models, then its back to Maserati and then GM pushes the home game hard with an announcement that the batteries for its Volt will be built in the USA. It's a boost for local jobs, more hard news on the Volt, and just what Washington will want before the Big Three report back on their survival plans at the end of March.And then there is a shock - at least for the Americans - as Chinese cars make the mainstream in Detroit for the first time and little-known BYD confirms it will be selling the world's first production plug-in electric car by 2010.The last big event of Detroit '09 is the one everyone already knows about - the new Toyota Prius.The list of 'firsts' is impressive as the car is unveiled, from its drag co-efficient to more luxury and a more-efficient battery system. But Honda has already undercut the third-generation Prius on price with its Insight, which is headlining for the brand in Detroit, and there is no sign of a cutting-edge lithium-ion battery pack.But the Prius has solar-powered air-conditioning to cool the car when it is parked, is bigger and quieter inside, and is certain to become the world's best selling hybrid. The car comes with more than 1000 new patents on technology and a claim of 3.9 litres/100km economy."Prius is more than a hybrid, it’s a solution. No longer is it a second car or a passing fad. In many households, it has become the primary family car," says Bob Carter of Toyota USA.There is other stuff to see in Detroit, and some things are obviously missing _ the Mercedes E-Class was an invitation-only event and Rolls-Royce is holding its all-new RR4 for the Geneva Motor Show in March - but the overall verdict on 2009 is surprisingly positive.Cars are still big news, look good and make promises of a better and more enjoyable life on the road.But the big question remains. Did the Big Three do enough, and show enough in Detroit, to convince the American government that they deserve the support it will take to get them through the biggest crisis in the history of the automobile? 

While the big two are in serious peril and likely to go through mind warping change, Australia’s legendary marques appear to be entering a renaissance. Elfin's future looks bright under the directorship of Tom Walkinshaw, Bolwell started taking orders again last week and recently Brabham announced it is going to launch a new range of highly tuned and modified BMW's.Three models are in development, the BT92, based on an M3 and the BT60 and BT70 using the M5 and X6 as their base. Initially the re-emergence of Brabham as a tuner company might seem a bit odd but the tie in with BMW makes sense. BMW was one of the major engine partners in Brabham's illustrious history. The other significant suppliers being Coventry Climax,  Alfa and Repco.The cars are not your run of the mill bolt-on tuner packaging, they comprise extensive body and mechanical changes including new panels manufactured to race car specs in an autoclave. There has been no word of future plans past the initial three models. Nor has there been an announcement from BMW, which already has a plethora of tuning companies enhancing or degrading its cars. However while there are a few high profile names such as Schnitzer and the internal M-sport division doing their bit to Bimmer's, they have started loosing ground recently to the surging Mercedes tuner market. Mercedes, with its AMG division and partnerships with Brabus and McLaren is grabbing all the limelight.It is unfortunate that the road car side of the McLaren Mercedes partnership is waning as a new MacMerc supercar up against a Brabham-BMW supercar would be just so much fun. Given that Gordon Murray was the principal designer for Brabham in the 70's and 80’s and used the BMW engine for the F1 supercar while at McLaren, the tie ins are just so tantalising. Imagine if a BMW Brabham partnership could entice Murray to come on board and develop a true successor to the F1.Whether Brabham ties itself with BMW completely, or operates as an independent tuning/manufacturing company, the possibilities are exciting. No matter what the future plans are for Brabham, having such a fantastic Australian name back in the mix of performance cars is fantastic.Rod Halligan